Editor's Note

Last week, we published a memorial piece on my old neighbour Al, or “Owl” as my son fondly called him, Alistair Gourlay, who passed away after a long battle with leukaemia. Al was a kind, friendly presence in our neighbourhood, an active member of the community, and will be missed by many.

Sharing his story felt like such an important way to remember such a lovely man. Seeing his face in the paper also prompted me to let you all know that, at the sad time of a loved one’s passing, we can publish a memorial piece celebrating their life for you, completely free of charge.

One of our caring journalists will work with you to craft a thoughtful tribute that honours their story and contribution to our community. While funeral notices are available as a paid service to share details of arrangements, the memorial story itself is our public service to you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help.

In other news, it’s encouraging to hear that the Shute Harbour Boat Ramp will finally receive investment through Olympic funding. This is fantastic news for our boating community, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities may come our way as we prepare to play a part in the 2032 Olympic Games.

It’s also been uplifting to see the strong engagement with our recent stories.

A generous local reached out after reading about Vari Galletly’s efforts to fund pilot lessons for one of her African orphans and was inspired to offer support.

Meanwhile, the story of local boatie Kevin Ditton recovering his boat, Fright Train, from the rocks at Pigeon Island attracted more than 250 Facebook likes and an outpouring of positive comments.

This was a welcome reminder of the power of journalism to create uplifting coverage of what was previously a tragic event.

Hope you enjoy this week’s edition too!

Rach

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